Conflagration (Spell)

A specific Piece of Art by which all Dangers of Conflagrations are Avoided from a Dwelling House.

Take in the evening or in the morning a black hen from its nest, cut its throat, throw it upon the ground, cut the stomach of the hen from out of the body, but nothing else, and be care­ful to leave everything else inside. After this proceeding try to obtain a piece of gold quartz. The piece must be large as a saucer. These two articles wrap up together; take an egg laid on Green Thursday, wrap the three pieces thus obtained up in bees'-wax and put all in an octagon pot of clay, cover the same tightly, and bury it under the house doorsill. Such a house is protected from all dangers of fire, although the flames may surround it.

Take a black chicken, in the morning or evening, cut its head off and throw it upon the ground; cut its stomach out, yet leave it altogether; then try to get a piece of a shirt which was worn by a chaste virgin during her terms, and cut out a piece as large as a common dish from that part which is bloodiest. These two things wrap up together, then try to get an egg which was laid on maunday Thursday. These three things put together in wax; then put them in a pot holding eight quarts, and bury it under the threshold of your house, with the aid of God, and as long as there remains a single stick of your house together, no conflagration will happen. If your house should happen to be on fire already in front and behind, the fire will nevertheless do no injury to you nor to your children. This is done by the power of God, and is quite certain and infallible.

If fire should break out unexpectedly, then try to get a whole shirt in which your servant-maid had her terms or a sheet on which a child was born, and throw it into the fire, wrapped up in a bundle, and without saying anything. This will certainly stop it.